Hope & Truth Ministry
Be hope, be love, live with truth.
For the wondering, the doubting, the hurting, and the hopeful. For people without a congregation, and for people who have found theirs but want another voice on the road. You are welcome here. We are all part of God's diverse and beautiful family.
From the lectionary
Recent reflections
Sermons and reflections in keeping with the Revised Common Lectionary. Check weekly for new material.
November 1, 2026
Being Saintly - Matthew 5 - All Saints - Year A
Preaching on the Beatitudes for All Saints Day (Matthew 5:1-12) alongside 1 John 3:1-3, Psalm 34, and Revelation 7:9-17, this sermon presents them as the foundation of Jesus's teaching and a framework for a good life. Tony argues that the first four blessings describe all of us, poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and hungry for what we lack, while the last four show how to live: with mercy, peacemaking, a pure heart, and a stand for justice. We honor the saints by living these blessings as a way of life rather than a transaction, seeing everyone as children of God (1 John 3:1).
October 24, 2026
Love Of - Matthew 22 - Proper 25A
Drawing on a week in Hamburg, this sermon reads the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-46) in context with Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 and 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. Tony argues that loving our neighbor as ourselves starts with knowing we are children of God who deserve God's love, and then extending that love to everyone, without judgment or exception. Loving God means loving God's children through real acts of kindness, generosity, and tenderness, a love worth more than empty promises and one that crosses every border.
October 11, 2026
A Wedding Robe - Matthew 22 - Proper 23A
Reading the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14) with Isaiah 25:1-9 and Philippians 4:1-9, this sermon asks what it means to accept God's invitation and what the wedding robe is. Tony argues that the robe is not something we buy but the gift God provides: gentleness, joy, faith, love, and peace, which Paul names in Philippians 4:4-7. Wearing it means more than being in the room; it means becoming a shelter for others, as Isaiah 25:4 describes God, and telling those outside that there is room for them too.